The Overlooked Importance of Economics: Why the Bush Administration Wanted NATO Enlargement

Abstract

This journal article by Liviu Horovitz and Elias Götz shows that, during 1991–1992, the George H.W. Bush Administration settled to pursue NATO enlargement in order to ensure both stability in and influence over Europe. Both were necessary subsidiary objectives towards achieving long-term security aims and the medium-term goal of furthering American prosperity. Bush officials concluded that European instability, protectionism, and self-absorption could menace US-led economic globalization.